"Let me attempt to give some perspective to the symphonies of Pettersson: more often than not, they seem roiling and building toward some climax, exuding a character that contains a vague mixture of Sibelius, Shostakovich (especially from his late quartets), Messiaen and Ives... We must thank cpo for this invaluable set: Alun Francis incisively leads most of the performances here, and overall, the orchestras respond with conviction to the various conductors. The sound on these recordings, made between 1984 and 2004, is generally good and the performances more than adequate, some utterly compelling. The booklet notes are informative and invaluable. If you're an adventurous listener, this fare could really open up new vistas for you if you aren't already familiar with the music of Allan Pettersson. Recommended." -Classical.net